"Better than most" – When NBC commentator lauded a 25-yo Tiger Woods with an iconic line at the 2001 Players Championship

Tiger Woods' first Players Championship win came in 2001, around 24 years ago. However, the phrase used by NBC commentator Gary Koch during Woods' final round 17th hole putt has been etched in history forever.

In 2001, Woods entered the Players Championship for the fifth straight year. While he had won most of the big titles by then, he hadn't tasted success at the 'fifth major' yet. The then 25-year-old star carded scores of 72-69-66-67 over the four days to finish at 14-under and beat Vijay Singh by a one-stroke margin.

Woods played incredibly well in the final round of the Players Championship, and his genius was on display during the par-3, 17th hole, where he made an incredibly tough putt on the slope. As he made contact with the ball for a 60-foot putt, Koch delivered his iconic verdict on the golfer's approach.

"Better than most!," he said.

As the ball traveled toward the pin, Koch went on to repeat the same phrase and repeated it for the third time with full intensity when the ball went inside the cup.

It was Woods' second win in as many starts after having won the Bay Hill Invitational (now the Arnold Palmer Invitational) earlier that year.

He went on to add three more wins that year, including the Masters Tournament when he completed the Tiger Slam and held all four majors simultaneously. After two decades, we can say that he certainly ended up being better than most.

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Is Tiger Woods competing at the Sentry 2025?

Tiger Woods isn't playing at the Sentry 2025, which began on Thursday, January 2, at Kapalua's Plantation Course. Woods has won the tournament twice in his career but hasn't teed off here for over a decade.

Tiger Woods, who turned 49 last week, was last seen competing at the PNC Championship alongside his son Charlie, where the duo lost to defending champion Bernhard Langer and his son Jason in a playoff.

The 15-time major champion will be in action soon, as he's set to play in the inaugural season of the TGL. The tech-infused league will start on January 7, and Woods will be part of the Jupiter Links GC. For the uninitiated, Woods is the co-founder of the league alongside Rory McIlroy.

Speaking of the PGA Tour action, there's no clarity on Tiger Woods' return. However, fans can expect him to make his return at the Genesis Invitational, one of the two tournaments he hosts.